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Bashir Levingston is prepared to sit out the Argos' next game if he fails in his appeal to overturn a suspension by the Canadian Football League.

Levingston indicated yesterday he has filed an appeal with the CFL Players Association to help overturn the one-game suspension the CFL served him with for throwing a helmet into the crowd following the Argos' game in Hamilton on Labour Day. The helmet hit a teenage boy, who was not injured.

The Argos disciplined Levingston, ordering him to telephone the boy and his father and apologize.

Levingston reacted angrily after someone in the crowd spat at him from the area above the Argos locker room. Levingston said the person who spat at him is not the boy who was hit with the helmet.

The league told Levingston on Monday of its decision following an investigation and a recommendation to commissioner Tom Wright, who issued the penalty because of what was deemed to be an "inappropriate act."

Once a notice of appeal is issued, a hearing has to take place within seven days.

The Argos play in Regina on Friday, and according to CFL bylaws teams have to set their rosters 24 hours prior to a game. So it's now a question of whether Levingston will have his appeal heard prior to that deadline, or decides to sit out the game regardless, or loses the appeal and sits out a later game.

"If it's going to be objective hearings where they hear my side and take that into consideration, I would rather do it before we go to Saskatchewan (tomorrow) and hopefully something good can come out of that," Levingston said. "If not, I guess I'm sitting out this Friday.

"I don't want to get suspended at all. I want to play all 18 games ... but if they're going to do it, do it now I guess."

Levingston said he'd prefer not to miss an East Division game.

The Argos' next Eastern opponent is Ottawa on Sept. 28 at the Rogers Centre.

If the suspension is upheld, Levingston will forfeit one-eighteenth of his salary. While player salaries are not public, it's believed Levingston is the highest-paid return specialist in the league, with a salary above $100,000.